Mundo Deportivo: Why Barcelona’s interest in Milan star has ‘noticeably diminished’

Barcelona are looking to sign a new left winger but Rafael Leao is no longer being considered as a target, according to a report.

Leao has been linked with a move to Barcelona in each of the last few transfer windows but ultimately nothing ever materialised, partly because of the financial difficulties that the Catalan club continue to battle. Once again, though, they are looking for a new winger.

Barcelona cool interest in Leao

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barca want a left-sided attacker again and Leao’s name ‘has reappeared’. He was on the table in the last days of the summer window but the money wasn’t there to accelerate.

This time, though, their interest has ‘noticeably diminished’. Barcelona have firsthand information that Leao is expected to cost less than Milan were asking last year, when his market value was between €80-100m.

This is a clear sign that the Portuguese player ‘has devalued his assets’ despite showing his quality in some matches last season, such as in the Rossoneri’s 3-1 Champions League win at the Santiago Bernabéu in November.

However, Leao has not shown much consistency throughout the campaign, posting his worst numbers in the last four seasons with 12 goals and 12 assists.

The report adds: “The current prevailing feeling among the sporting leadership and the technical staff led by Hansi Flick is to raise the bar to fight for the Champions League next season.

“The players they sign must be highly competitive. They don’t want players who can only act as substitutes, especially if the investment is high. And even if Leao costs less than a year ago, it still wouldn’t be a bargain.”